Adjustable bookrest



LSZLGGO M. ISAACSON ADJUSTABLE BOOKREST Sept 1, 1931.

Filed Dec. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ")WENTOR MYWfi/S lsaacsm BY ATTORN EY 7 Sept. 1, 1931. M. ISAACSON 1,821,060

ADJUSTABLE BOOKREST- Filed Dec. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V ENTO R 0075 fsaacsm ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1, 193].

PATENT OFFICE MORRIS ISAAQSON, OF BRGOKLYN, NEW YORK ADJUSTABEE BGOKREST Application filed-Decembeifi, 1929. Serial No. 2,735.

This invention relates to improvements in adjustable book rests, and particularly to the typeadapted for attachment to abe-dposnthe arm of a chair, or some other suitable support, so that a book placed thereon mightbe easily and conveniently read by av person in asitting or reclining position who wishes to be relieved of the burden or inconvenience of holding the book in his hands.

'An' object of this invention is to provide, in a device of thiskind, adjusting means for readily varyingthe position and angle of the book tosuit the requirements of the reader. Another object is to provide adjustable clamping means to enable a book rest of this class to be secured to differently positioned and variously sized'supports. A further object of my invention is to provide means to hold and support the pages of a book to prevent a downward sag and to keep the book fixed in its open position. Still another object is to provide a simple device of this class adapted to accommodate books of various heights and thicknesses. Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the drawings and the description hereinafter given. f v

Referring tofthe drawings Fig; 1 is a perspectiveof the invention attached to the leg of a chair, and showing a book thereon. J Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device illustrating theclamp and rod attachment. '2 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective, showing a modified form of clamp attached to a bed. I V V I Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the table supporting the frame.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of my invention at tachedto the arm of a chair, and showing how a book of greater than average height is supported.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side sectional elevation ofthis invention. I r

' Fig. 7 is afragmentary sectionalelevation, illustrating the construction of the hinged double washer used in this device. I i

Fig.- 8 is a fragmentary front view of Fig;

- Fi 9 illustrates the "flat pattern of the 5D washershown in Figures? and 8.

Fig. 10 illustrates the hinged double washer with the wing nut partly backed off.

Fig. 11 is a partial. side section showing the position a book of greater than average thickness, and the combination page holder and a supporter.

Fig. 12 is a sectional plan of Fig. 11 taken along line 12-12.

In the drawings, the frame 1 comprises the cross bar 2, the uprights 3 and 4, and the Q supporting bar 5 of bitriangular cross section, which contains the surfaces 6, 7 8, 9, and 10. The support 11 is pivotally attached to the frame 1, the uprights 3 and 4 thereof containing the threaded pins or bolts 12 and 13 I5 respectively. Upon these bolts are mounted the sides 14 and 15 of said support, the wing nuts 16 and 17 and the hinged double Washers 18 and 19 which have a number of prongs that are imbedded into the uprights 3 and 4, N as shown.

The table 21 contains, on its under side, the two parallel rails 22 and 23, shown in the drawings as channel bars secured to the table by the angle bars 24. In sliding engagement lb with the said rails is the adjustable base plate 25, serving as a support for the table 21. This plate contains the socket 26 which fits over the upper end of rod 27 and contains the set screw 28 adapted to lock the said base 00 plate in fixed position relative to the rod 27. The stop 29 and the latch 30 serve as barriers to confine the movement of said base plate to the space between these members, the latch 30 being removable to permit the base 85 plate to be disengaged from the table whenever necessary.

The adj ustable clamp 31 contains the clamp bolts 32 and 33, the former having thereon. the saddle 84' and the latter the saddle 35, 00 felt pads (not shown) on the clamping jaws 38 and 39, and the extension 40 having the holes 41 and 42 therethrough, each of said holes-being adapted to slidahly receive the rod 27.-the set screw 43 serving the purpose 96 of holding the said rod 27 locked within the clamp, in a predetermined position.

, A modified form of clamp is that represented by the numeral 44, comprising the clamp bolt 45 having thereon the saddle 46, 1

stems and 61 respectively, the pivotal con nection being under suihcient frictional tension to enable the said stems to remain in their projected positions without dropping down dueto their own weights.

" The bottom edges or squares of a book are set upon the surface 6 of the supporting bar 5, the shelf back and coversof the open bookresting against surface 7 of said bar 5 and against the face ofthe cross bar 2; To vary the'inclination of the book, thenuts 16 and 1? are loosened,-'thereby permitting the sections 76 and 7? of washer 18, and the corresponding sections of washer 19 to spread and release the sides 14' and 15 respectively; the support 11 is then rotated either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, depending upon the angle desired; and the said nuts 16 and 17 are then tightened against the yieldable outward pressure of said washers Normally the said sections of the washers are spread to permit the free pivotal movement of the sides 1% and 15 (Fig. 10); but the tightening of the nuts 16 and 17 brings these sections into frictional engagement with the s'aio sides, so that the support 11 is held in its projected position. 7

It will be noticed that the hinged washers 18 and19 are in-fixed positions relative to the frame 1, due to the fact that the prongs 62, (33, 64:. and are imbedded into the bodies of the uprights 3 and 4. It is hence obvlous that the said washers will always remain stationary, regardless of any movement of the sides 14 and 15 ofthe support 11. As the nuts 16 and 17 are in abutment withthe outer surfaces of said washers, no movement of the saidsides 14L'and 15 will affect these nuts. If, however, loose washers were used instead, the movement of the sides 1%1 and 15 might, due to their frictionalengagement withthese washers, carry them along and cause a loosening oft-he abutting wing nuts.

The upward swing of the support 11 is limited by the position of the peripheral juncture 68' of the washers, the maximum position being reached when the edge comes finto'abutment with the said juncture (Fig.8).l.f

g It should be observed that although the said washers 18 and 19 each contain a plurality of prongs,'t v'vo sectionsand two holes,

the pattern therefor can be roduced in a single stamping operation, as becomes evident from an inspection of Fig. 9. i

The combination of adjustable features in the support 11, table 21, and the clamp and rod attachments above described results in an exceedingly flexible arrangement as to the position of the frame 1 supporting the book, and makes thisdeviL-e particularly v. adaptable for use in hospitals and sanitariums Where patients and invalids, in various sitting and reclining positions, desire to read without subjecting themselves to theburden of holding the books in their hands. By adjusting the angle of the frame 1, by moving the base plate 25 horizontally along the table between the rails 22 and 23, by loosening the set screw 28 and turning the table 21 in a horizontal plane around rod 27 as an aXis, and by loosening the set screw 43 to permit a movement of the clamp 31 along the rod 27 or by loosening the set screw 55 to permit a movementof the clamp 14 along the rod 27, a book supported by this device can be brought into any and every position suitable to the needs and convenience of the reader, and limited only by the dimensions of the structure. It is of course apparent thatnot every one of the adjustments above referred to need be made as a single adjustment, such as the raising or lowering of the table'21, may be suflicient.

The clamp 31 is adaptable for attachment to both horizontal and vertical supports; and the clamp 44, having threeholes therethrough, is son'iewhat more flexibly zadjustable, the hole 54 being adapted to receive a rod running longitudinally through the extension 51 and transversely crossing the support to which the clamp is secured; The clamp 44,11aving three point contact, is better suited to being secured to cylindrical supports than the clamp 81. i

If the book to "be supported is of greater than average height, the extension brackets 72' and' 7 3 are swung upwardly to the position shown in Figures 2, 5, and 6, so that the covers of the book will now repose against the surface 7 of the bar-5, the cross bar 2 and the said extension brackets 72 and 73.

If the thickness of the open book greater than the width of surface 6 so as to protrude beyond the plane of surface 10, or if there is a tendency of the pages to sag downwardly, the combination page holder and supporter 56 is brought into play. The hinged segments 58 and 59 are swung out, so that the upper edges of these segments will support the protruding or sagging pages of thebook, thereby supplementing the surface 6 in supporting the book. To keep the upper pages 74and flat against the underlying pages, and to prevent said upper pages from being blown over by a current of air, the stems 60 and 61 are turned upwards so that they are contiguous or sufficiently close to the plane of the exposed surface of said ing the bottom end as well as the back covers 'pivotally mounted upon bolts fixed to said of a book, but serves the additional functions of acting as an anchorage and support 'for the combination page holder and supporter 56, and for the uprights 3 and l.

The above description and the drawings refer to but one of several different mechanical forms that may be embodied in my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an adjustable book rest, a frame containing a plurality of uprights, a horizontally. disposed polyhedral supporting bar of pentagonal cross section, two adjacent sides thereof being adapted to support the lower portions of a book, a third side being adapted to support the said uprights, and one of the longitudinally disposed edges of said supporting bar being adapted to rest upon a suitably positioned table.

2. In an adjustable book rest, the combination of a frame comprising a horizontal polyhedral supporting bar, a plurality of uprights secured to said supporting bar, and a cross bar; adjusting means attached to said frame for varying the inclination there of; a table for supporting said frame; clamping meansconnected to said table and adapted for attachment to a suitable support; means for raising and lowering said table; and means for moving said table in an horizontal plane.

3. In an adjustablebook rest, the combination of frame comprising a horizontal polyhedral supporting bar, a plurality of uprights, and a cross bar; adjustable supporting means for varying the inclination of the said frame, said supporting means being pivotally mounted on said uprights; a'table for supporting said frame, the underside of said table containing a base plate in slidable engagement with two parallel rails attached to said table; means for limiting the movement of said base plate; and means to enable said plate to be detached fromthe table.

4. In an adjustable book rest, thecombination of a frame ;adjustable supporting means for varying the inclination of said frame, said supporting means containing two sides frame, each of said sides being positioned between the two sections of a hinged washer mounted'on one of said bolts and fixed to said frame; and nuts in threaded engagement with said bolts and in abutment with the outer surfaces of said washers. I 5. In an adjustable book rest, the combination of a frame comprising a horizontal supporting bar of bitriangular cross section, two

otally attached to said uprights andadapted tovarythe inclination of said fr e; h

ers fixedfto said uprights and adjacent said supporting means;- and means to yieldably bring said washers into frictional engagement with said supporting means.

6. In an adjustable book rest, the combinaion of a frame, adjustable supporting means for varying the inclination of said frame, horizontally disposed pins attached to the sides of said frame, a double-sectioned washer mounted on each of said pins and fixed to said frame, the said supporting means having its two sides mounted upon said pins and positioned between the sections of said washers, said sections being normally spread to permit the free pivotal movement of said sides therebetween, and means to yieldably hold the sections of said washers in frictional abutment with the said sides.

7. In an adjustable book rest, the combination of a frame, horizontally disposed threaded pins attached to the sides of said frame, hinged washers each consisting of two section joined peripherally and mounted on each of said pins, each of said washers containing a plurality of inwardly projecting prongs imbedded into the sides of the said frame, an adjustable support for said frame having its two sides pivotally mounted on said pins and positioned between the two sections of said washers, and nuts mounted on and in threaded engagement with said pins and in juxtaposition with said washers.

8. In an adjustable book rest, the combination of a frame comprising a horizontal supporting bar of bitriangular cross section, a plurality of uprights secured to said supporting bar. anda cross bar attached to said uprights: an adjustable support pivotally attached to said frame: means for frictionally engaging said support to holdit in its projected position; a table for supporting said frame and support, the underside of said table containing a base plate in slidable eugagement with two parallel rails: said base plate containing a socket adapted for attachment to the upper end of a rod; a clamp 1 r adapted to slidably engage said rod; and means to secure said rod to said clamp.

9. In an adjustable book rest. the combina tion of a frame comprising a polyhedral supporting bar of bitriangular cross section. a plurality of uprights, and a cross bar; the said supporting bar having four of its surfaces disposed upwardly, the first lowest of said surfaces having attached thereto supplementary suporting means for upholding the protruding portion of the bottom end of thirdof said surfaces together with said uprights and saidcross bar being adapted to support the covers of the book; and the fourth of said surfaces havingattached thereto the said uprights. V f g In testimony whereof, I affixmy signature.

, MORRIS ISAACSON. 

